Feminism Flashcards
First Wave Feminism
suffrage movement
right to vote for women in 1928
Second Wave Feminism
questioned roles society expected of women and men
argued women were oppressed by such expectations
Third Wave Feminism
claimed feminism was too focused on white middle class women
claimed feminism gave little expression to women of other cultures and their concerns
Fourth Wave Feminism
present day
looks at continued inequalities in pay, sexual harrassment, depiction of women in the media, online misogyny and abuse
What is sex?
biological differences between men and women
What is gender?
a social construct consisting of a set of social arrangements built around sex e.g. what we deem as ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’
What does radical feminism believe about sex?
transwomen cannot be accepted as women because of biological differences - altering genitalia or body shape cannot change this
Which feminists believe transwomen cannot be accepted as women due to biological differences?
Julie Bindel and Sheila Jeffreys
What is Sylvia Walby’s belief about the patriarchy?
identifies patriarchy’s pervasive and systematic nature
What does Sylvia Walby say is central to a feminist understanding of society?
the concept of patriarchy
Patriarchy and the State
- the denial of representation
- women are under represented in positions of women
Patriarchy and the Household
domesticity is destiny
What does Kate Millett say about Patriarchy and the Household?
“the family is patriarchy’s chief institution”
Patriarchy and Violence
women are more prone to being abused
two women killed every week by partners or former partner
Patriarchy and Paid Work
women tend to:
- have lower paid jobs
- be offered part time positions
- be assistants to men
Patriarchy and Sexuality
female sexuality seen as ‘unladylike’ / ‘slutty’
male sexuality able to be fully explored without as much judgement
What feminist text explores Patriarchy and Sexuality? What does it say?
‘The Female Eunuch’ Germaine Greer
- women’s sexual desires seen as unfeminine and unacceptable
- women should not be ashamed of their sexuality or embarrassed by their bodies
- women encouraged to participate in sex for two reasons (to procreate or satisfy men’s desires)
Patriarchy and Culture
ideal body image
What does Naomi Wolf say about women and body image?
fixation on women’s body image and weight is about control and obedience
What does Noami Wolf explore in ‘The beauty Myth’?
- the additional pressure on women to pursue the ideal body image
- capitalism keeping women buying things and chasing an unattainable goal
- a rise in eating disorders and cosmetic surgery
How does the beauty craze keep male dominance intact?
women led into thinking that unless they look and dress a particular way, they are ugly or unattractive for the MALE gaze
Who said “the personal is political”?
Carol Hanisch 1970
What does Carol Hanisch mean by “the personal is political”?
raising the awareness among women that oppression existed in their role in the family as well as the public sphere
Give examples of how the family keeps women and girls subjugated
- taught to be obedient whilst men to be dominant and self reliant
- socialised into accepting role of the housewife as the only and most fulfilled role
- expected to carry out free domestic work as well as paid work
- expected to cater to husband’s every need
- sacrifice career for housewife and motherhood
What do separatists believe?
that women and men should form two separate societies
What does Charlotte Bunch believe about feminism?
- political lesbianism
- heterosexuality is a political institution
- can only be challenged by women withdrawing from men and becoming lesbians
What does Sheila Jeffreys say in ‘Love your enemy’?
lesbianism is a political choice
When did intersectionality and identity politics begin to emerge and what did it represent?
late 80s/90s
third wave feminists seeking to redefine the women’s movement
criticised feminism for its focus on the oppressions faced only by white middle class women
Who coined the term ‘intersectionality’?
Kimberle Crenshaw
Intersectionality and Feminism
sought to take into the account experiences of:
- black women and women from ethnic minorities
- working class women
- disabled women
What did Bell Hooks say about women?
women were not a homogenous group and did not always share the same life experiences
What is the ‘original’ feminism?
Liberal Feminism
Who represents liberal feminism?
Mary Wollstonecraft
the Suffragettes
most second wave feminists
What is the main principle of liberal feminism?
takes the liberal values of individualism and foundational equality and applies them to women as well as men
How do liberal feminists believe feminist goals can be secured?
through a reform of society
democratic pressure and persuasion can help overcome gender imbalance
How do liberal feminists believe gender stereotyping can be broken down?
when women are accepted into traditional ‘mens occupations’ and girls will be encouraged by female role models
Mary Wollstonecraft on human nature
women are no more or no less rational than men and both should be treated equally as rational human beings
Wollstonecraft on equality
formal equality - women are entitled to the same civil liberties as men
equality of opportunity - women should be able to have a choice between taking a domestic role and seeking a career
Liberal Feminists on the state
- emphasises the states role in securing feminist goals
- advocates using the sate in positive ways to make lives of women better
- state plays a role on law reform e.g. on childcare/marital abuse/equal pay
- plays a role in legal and political equality and ensuring equality of opportunity
Give examples of the successes of liberal feminists
- securing right to vote for women in 1928
- criminalisation of rape in marriage (RvR case)
- widening the definition of domestic abuse to now include economic abuse
Liberal Feminists on the economy
women should get to economic equality on merit
Liberal Feminists on Society
- women are discriminated against in society
- focuses only on public sphere
How do liberal feminists believe economic equality can be achieved?
through encouragement not enforcement e.g. seeing more women in higher positions will inspire
What idea does Liberal Feminists reject?
the idea of patriarchy instead highlights the discrimination women face
What do socialist feminists believe?
capitalism creates and maintains patriarchy
How do socialist feminists believe feminist goals can be achieved?
through a socialist revolution whereby the capital is destroyed so patriarchy will be destroyed too
How does Engels suggest women are oppressed by capitalism?
- male workers needed unpaid helpers to carry out domestic chores
- womens main role to reproduce labour force
- women as a ‘reserve army of labour’
What is Sheila Rowbothams main belief?
capitalism and sexism oppress women
What does Sheila Rowbotham say about capitalism?
capitalism now re-enforces sexism
women are doubly oppressed by capitalism
How does Rowbotham believe feminist goals can be achieved?
‘revolution within a revolution’ - sexism had to be overthrown along with the wider revolution against capitalism
What does Rowbotham say about the family?
the family is not only an institution that disciplines and subjects women to capitalism but is also a place of refuge for men from the alienation of capitalism
How do socialist feminists believe women will achieve economic equality?
when a socialist society is achieved women will have an equal access to everything because it will be out forward by the state
How strong are the arguments of socialist feminists?
- a socialist society has never been achieved and is unlikely to be achieved
- all feminists do not share their views
Who criticised socialist feminism?
Juliet Mitchel in ‘Women’s Estate’
How does Juliet Mitchel criticise socialist feminism?
- it dismisses women’s oppression as just another aspect of the bourgeois family
What does Juliet Mitchel say about the family in ‘Womens Estate’?
the family in itself was a separate form of oppression keeping women hidden away and financially dependent on their husbands
What does Charlotte Perkins Gilman say women rely on in the home?
sex and domesticity to keep their husbands happy
What does Charlotte Perkins Gilman believe is the only way for women to be set free?
economic independence
What strand of socialism is Perkins Gilman associated with?
socialist feminism because she believes economic independence is the only way for women to be set free and believes in common humanity
What does Perkins Gilman believe about society?
communal living is the answer where women and men live side by side without the worry about economic status
What does Perkins Gilman believe about gender?
from childhood girls are socialised to dress, behave and act in a stereotypical ‘feminine’ way
What is Simone de Beauvoir’s most famous feminist quote?
” one is not born, but rather becomes a woman “
What does De Beauvoir believe about gender?
- the social construct of women is deliberately created for the benefit of men
- women are conditioned into accepting a passive role in life and taking inordinate care over their appearance
What does De Beauvoir believe about the role of society in feminism?
from an early age the agents of primary socialisation encourage young girls to adopt a feminine identity e.g. gender specific toys reinforcing stereotypes concerning the nurturing mother
How does De Beauvoir believe feminist goals can be achieved?
women should be free to reject male stereotypes of feminine beauty
in doing so there would be greater equality between men and women
What does De Beauvoir say about a patriarchal society?
a patriarchal society treats women as ‘other’ and as abnormal and thereby prevents them from fulfilling their true potential
What does De Beauvoir believe about motherhood?
it is used as a way of turning women from politics into slaves
What does De Beauvoir say femininity discourages?
women from entering politics, technology or anything that is not based on home or family
Describe De Beauvoir’s belief about ‘otherness’
men are the ‘norm’ whilst women are ‘deviants’ in a patriarchal society
the masculine is commonly presented in positive terms or simply as the norm whilst feminist is depicted as the other and therefore inferior
women are therefore presented with a social construct that relegates them to a secondary status
What institution is De Beauvoir most critical about?
the traditional nuclear family
What does radical feminism emphasise?
“getting to the root” i.e. patriarchy and male dominance
What is the radical feminist view on patriarchy?
it divides rights, privileges and power primarily by sex
as a result it oppresses women and privileges men
How do radical feminists oppose liberal feminists?
radical feminists are sceptical of political action within the current system as existing political and social organizations are inherently tied to patriarchy
How do radical feminists believe we should achieve feminist goals?
“smash the patriarchy”
a lot more militant in their approach than other feminists
aim to dismantle patriarchy rather than making adjustments to the system through legal changes
How do radical feminists oppose socialist feminists?
radical feminists resist reducing oppression to an economic or class issue as socialist feminism does
What is the myth about radical feminism and how is this inaccurate?
the myth is that radical feminism is “man hating”
to equate radical feminism with “man hating” is to assume that patriarchy and men are inseperable
Who defended the idea of “man hating” and why?
Robin Morgan
“man hating” as the right of the oppressed class to hate the class which is oppressing them
Radical Feminists on the state
patriarchy is in the DNA of key state institutions
How do radical feminists believe that the state has a role to play in eradicating patriarchal values in both private and public spheres?
by outlawing pornography and ensuring harsher punishment for domestic violence, rape and other crimes
What does Kate Millet believe is the principle tool of the patriarchy?
the traditional family
What does Millet believe about marriage?
marriage was simply an exchange between men and women of sexual consent and domestic service for financial support
What does Millet believe about masculine authority?
it spreads beyond the family into all aspects of society - friends, schools, media etc
How does Millet believe women are oppressed in art and literature?
art and literature made women into commodities to be sexually possessed by men
What ideas does Millet discourage?
romantic love and monogamy
What does Millet advocate?
a sexual revolution and political lesbianism
What key principle is Postmodern Feminism concerned with?
intersecntionality
What do Postmodern Feminists believe about women?
it is impossible to categorise women into just one group
different women have different experiences of life
What is suggested in ‘Manifesta’ about feminism?
each generation will rediscover and reestablish what feminism means for them
What other factors do Postmodern Feminists believe affect women in society?
race / religion / class etc
What is Postmodern Feminism critical of?
second wave feminism as too narrowly focused on the experiences of educated white middle class women
What do Postmodern Feminists believe about the patriarchy?
it is subjective. different women have different experiences of the patriarchy e.g. a rich white business executive seeking equal pay with male CEO colleagues versus an unemployed black woman with a disability seeking employment
What does bell hooks suggest in ‘Ain’t I a woman’?
the double oppression of black women and the reluctance of middle class white feminists to listen to them
What does bell hooks say about mainstream feminists?
they were too focused on the experiences of middle class white women and had either consciously or unconsciously ignored the struggles of women of colour
What does bell hooks argue for?
a more inclusive version of feminism that seeks to unite rather than divide
solidarity between genders, races and classes is the key
How do Postmodern Feminists believe feminist goals can be achieved?
social change occurs at a micro level
winning over hearts and minds and changing attitudes and ideas through education schemes
Postmodern Feminists on the role of the state
the state can facilitate education programs such as pshe and curriculum changes to ensure male and female stereotypes are broken
What approach are postmodern feminists in favour of?
a bottom up approach whereby attitudes can change from how you educate children
How do postmodern feminists believe patriarchy is sustained?
at a micro level through human nature
How is Postmodern Feminism and their goals harder to achieve?
more of a focus on attitudes, ideas, hearts and minds
it is difficult to win over hearts and minds
